John Francome: Me and my money | This is Money John Francome: Me and my money comments The Cheltenham Festival, taking place this week, is the most celebrated event in jump racing. John Francome, MBE, was National Hunt champion jockey seven times, winning the Gold Cup at Cheltenham in 1978 on Midnight Court. Now he's part of the Channel 4 commentary team. John, 55, has also written 22 thrillers. He was divorced in 1990, he has no children and lives in Berkshire. He spoke to Liz Phillips. Entrepreneur: John Francome. HOW MUCH WAS IN YOUR FIRST WAGE PACKET? I earned £5 a week plus a £1 clothes allowance as an apprentice jockey for Fred Winter when I was 16. I used to do other odd jobs, like making the beds for 10p and baby-sitting to earn some more. I also worked in a car body repair shop for a bit. HOW MUCH DID YOU PAY FOR YOUR FIRST HOME? I bought a two-bedroom cottage outside Lambourn, Berkshire, for £8,000 in 1973.

It was a timber frame house clad in corrugated iron, which wasn't good when a rat got stuck between the two layers and died. The place was so small that you could run the bath and cook your bacon without moving. I sold it three years later and built a house next door with a racing yard, stables and an indoor school. YOUR BEST FINANCIAL MOVE? I bought a fish and chip shop in my home town of Swindon 30 years ago with another jockey, Bill Shoemark, and we later bought a second one. I sold them two years ago. If I was 16 again I'd buy more of them. You can make £4,000 a week profit with a good one and double your money easily. I made more from the fish and chip shop than being a jockey. AND YOUR WORST? I bought a lime green Ford Cortina for a couple of hundred quid which I hired out when I was a lad. It was always breaking down. I spent every weekend working underneath it. HOW MUCH DID YOU EARN AS A JOCKEY? I earned £15 a ride when I started. Now jockeys get £130 a ride.

Out of that you have to pay for your travel, valet fees and tax. In a really good year, jockeys can make £100,000. If I cleared £50,000 I was doing well. Footballers can earn £150,000 a week and they're not in danger of falling off a horse. I make more money now than when I was a jockey. Buying land and building houses are my most profitable enterprises. ARE YOU AN ENTREPRENEUR? I've always been a bit of a wheeler dealer. I've built ten houses in all. I've still got eight, including the house I live in now near Lambourn. It's a five bedroom traditional house, with red brick walls and a clay tile roof. I bought the land 20 years ago. I'm more interested in building than riding. Messageboards: Join the news debate! Here are some of the most popular debates on recent finance and business news: >> Browse our other messageboards HOW MANY CREDIT CARDS DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR WALLET? One. Most of my expenses seem to be car-related. I prefer to use cash.

It drives me mad when you're standing behind someone in the queue at Waitrose and they whip out a card to buy a banana and an apple. HOW MUCH CASH DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR WALLET? About £200. I don't know where it goes. My mum used to say: 'Money talks but it only ever says goodbye to me.' ARE YOU A GAMBLER? If I'm going racing, I'll take £100 to bet. I've backed a few 50-1 winners. I usually put on £20, so I've won £1,000 a few times. I'm not a big punter. I follow it because it's my job. I've got an opinion on most races. If I didn't want to do anything else, I could make money gambling but I've got too many other things going on. HOW ARE YOU SAVING FOR YOUR RETIREMENT? I've run my own pension fund since I was 23 and have done better running it than many professionals. I like buying land and sporting pictures and shares. No one looks after your own interests as well as yourself. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST TIP YOU'VE EVER GIVEN?

I tip in proportion to the job. If a painter's done a really good job I might tip him £200. I've also told plenty of people to back horses that haven't won or given them a 50-1 winner. John Francome | The Huffington Post What's Working: Small Businesses John Francome John Francome MBE is a former National Hunt Champion Jockey, television pundit and author JOHN FRANCOME is a National Hunt Champion Jockey but he has also made a success in the world of broadcasting and publishing as a commentator and novelist. John has been connected to horse racing since he was 16, competing as a jockey for over fifteen years and fortunate enough to ride over one thousand winners. He rode for the best trainers in the country, in particular, the legendary Fred Winter at Lambourn, with whom he became Champion Jockey seven times. After retiring, Francome was awarded an MBE in 1986 for services to racing. He was a trainer for 18 months before becoming a TV presenter for Channel 4's horse racing broadcasts. Francome has taken to writing works of fiction.

His electrifying racing thrillers have won him legions of fans and put him on the bestsellers list. John Francome's previous novels include Deadly Finish, Final Breath, Dark Horse, Free Fall and Stalking Horse. John Francome | Swindon's seven-time champion jockey | SwindonWeb People You don't need to be a horse racing fan to know about John Francome. His success as a jockey and trainer makes him one of the foremost figures of all time in the racing world, but he has also made a success in the world of broadcasting and publishing as a commentator and novelist. Gee-gee genius: John Francome Even though his autobiography is called Born Lucky, the fact still remains that John Francome came from humble beginnings. Born in a council house in Mulberry Grove on 13 December 1952, he is the son of a railway fireman and when he left Park Senior High School he had few qualifications to show for it. His business sense, however, had already manifested itself in a scheme to print counterfeit lunch vouchers which he sold to selected classmates at half price.

One of the last areas he might have been expected to find himself was in the horse world, not least because the family struggled to provide the funds for him to compete with the horsey set. The Francomes had had no connection with horses, but a ride on a donkey at Barry Island at the age of six was enough to captivate John. He soon persuaded his parents to buy him a pony - Black Beauty - and the happiest moments of a happy childhood were the ones spent in the saddle. Fairly unusually for a jockey, his first successes on horseback were as a showjumper. Yet even winning the European Championship with the Great Britain team is dismissed in one line in his autobiography. On leaving school he realised showjumping offered little financial security and he recalls: "To become a jockey suddenly seemed the natural solution." Despite reservations that he would grow too big, the 16-year-old became an apprentice with top trainer Fred Winter at Lambourn and he moved from Swindon into the stable hostel. But his last season in showjumping proved his best and after winning the Young Riders' Championship of Great Britain at Hickstead and, struggling to keep down his weight, he nearly turned his back on racing early on.

He was soon given his first public ride - on Multigrey at Worcester in November, 1969 - and won easily, but his second race at Cheltenham ended when he broke his wrist. It proved a brief setback. In only his second season the young jockey was getting rides with top owners and winning - and was already well on the way to his first National Hunt championship, which he claimed in 1975/76. jockey seven times and rode 1,038 winners in a career spanning 16 years John Francome went on to win seven championships in ten years but admits that by the time he set a new record of 1036 jumping victories in June 1984, he was already making up his mind to retire. He rode his 1038th and last winner in April 1985 and was awarded the MBE the following year. John retained a strong link with racing by working as a trainer, and with regular appearances as a TV commentator. the latest of Francome's twenty-six racing novels so far His talents even extending to writing in following in the footsteps of Dick Francis by becoming a successful novelist.

He also writes a regular racing column in The Sun. John lives just over the county border in Lambourn, but still retains a great bond for his home town. "My affection is still for Wiltshire and Swindon people," he said, "who I find friendlier than those from many other southern counties." John Francome is a self-confessed fan of SwindonWeb - so much so that he took no persuading when we asked him to record a radio advertisement for us. And that's '...straight from the horse's mouth!' RELATED CONTENT Horse Racing... Where Did I Begin? | The Huffington Post Horse Racing... Where Did I Begin? 19/11/2014 17:23 | Updated 19 January 2015 John Francome John Francome MBE is a former National Hunt Champion Jockey, television pundit and author I have been connected to horse racing since I was 16, competing as a jockey for 15 years and being fortunate enough to ride over one thousand winners.

At the peak of my career I was Champion Jockey seven times yet even now after forty years in racing I am still amazed by the sheer power of horses as they thunder round a course in soft ground, especially at the end of a jump race. For a spectator, the atmosphere is remarkable but if you haven't been to a race before, the idea of betting can be slightly daunting. With the winter racing season firmly underway, the next big race is the longest running partnership of its kind and an institution within the British horse-racing circuit, The Hennessy Gold Cup on the 29 November. It takes place over three and a quarter miles at Newbury Racecourse, known for being the fairest track in the country; If you lose it is only ever because the horse or jockey were not good enough. It is a privilege to win it once and twice is a luxury. You have just got to be on the right horse. Now that I work as a racing pundit I am often asked for tips on who to back.

There are quite a few things to bear in mind when betting but it is much more fun picking out winners for yourself so here are a few pointers: Rise and Shine: Go through the form beforehand and give it as much time as you can afford. For the Hennessy, you are looking for horses that have won or been placed in some high class races over two and half or three miles. The winner is generally young, between six years and eight years often in their second season chasing, on the verge of reaching its full potential and on its way to the top. Get down to the parade ring: This will help you eliminate some of the options. You want a healthy looking horse, with a good shine on their coat, clean nose, looking relaxed and alert. This can be harder to do in winter as the horses will have rugs on where in the summer they don't. If the horse looks edgy, is sweating between its back legs or grinding its teeth, it's starting to worry and either not ready to race or most likely carrying an injury. You can listen to its walking too; check its light on its feet that its hooves aren't crashing into the tarmac. If the ground is heavy a noisy walker may have an advantage.

The Hennessy has been won by eight Cheltenham Gold Cup winners so class is essential. It has never been won by a bad jumper. Watch the early races: So you know what the ground is like. This is important, especially if the weather is changeable. The ground at Newbury this year could be soft, bordering on heavy, which will make a race more difficult for those horses carrying lots of weight. Visit the bookmaker and look at the odds: Hopefully you'll have whittled down the options and found a horse at a big price so that you can back it each-way. Some bookmakers will be paying out if your horse finishes in the first four and sometimes in the first five so shop around. A £10 each way on a 20/1 chance means that you have invested a £10 to win and a £10 to be placed at a ¼ of the odds. If it wins you collect a £210 for your win bet and a £60 for your place bet. Some people prefer to back each-way. Personally, I would rather back two horses to win. Pick your spot: Then the fun is of course in watching the race.

I like to go down to the last fence and watch the action close up. It's the best way to get an idea of how fast the horses are traveling and appreciate how strong they are. To see a large group of horses jumping close up at speed is something you will never forget. And don't despair if your horse doesn't win. It doesn't always mean your judgement is poor. The 8th horse home last year Lord Windermere went on to win the Gold Cup at Cheltenham. John Francome | The Huffington Post Front Page NEWS POLITICS LIFESTYLE PARENTS TECH YOUNG VOICES COMEDY ENTERTAINMENT STYLE WHAT'S WORKING BLOGS John Francome John Francome MBE is a former National Hunt Champion Jockey, television pundit and author JOHN FRANCOME is a National Hunt Champion Jockey but he has also made a success in the world of broadcasting and publishing as a commentator and novelist. John has been connected to horse racing since he was 16, competing as a jockey for over fifteen years and fortunate enough to ride over one thousand winners.

He rode for the best trainers in the country, in particular, the legendary Fred Winter at Lambourn, with whom he became Champion Jockey seven times. After retiring, Francome was awarded an MBE in 1986 for services to racing. He was a trainer for 18 months before becoming a TV presenter for Channel 4's horse racing broadcasts. Francome has taken to writing works of fiction. His electrifying racing thrillers have won him legions of fans and put him on the bestsellers list. John Francome's previous novels include Deadly Finish, Final Breath, Dark Horse, Free Fall and Stalking Horse. Bob Champion: The National treasure who keeps on running | Sport | The Guardian The Observer Bob Champion: The National treasure who keeps on running Jockey who defied cancer to win world's greatest steeplechase and inspire a movie explains his love of Aintree and the battle to stay healthy 30 years on from his finest hour Bob Champion has had to contend with heart attacks as well as the cancer that struck him down before his Grand National win.

Photograph: Martin Godwin for the Observer Saturday 2 April 2011 19.17 EDT First published on Saturday 2 April 2011 19.17 EDT Share on Messenger Close Idea for a movie. A jockey who is told he will be dead in eight months unless he signs up to treatment with a 35-40% success rate wins the Grand National on a horse who was so badly injured in one of his races that the vet suggested a bullet was the only answer. Too late. Already been done. John Hurt played the rider in a 1983 film. But the tale kept rolling after Bob Champion passed the Aintree finishing post on Aldaniti, 30 years ago this week. It kept going into a new realm of illness, and defiance, and a fund-raising drive against cancer that provided Champion with a second act in life to surpass the first. We are in the kitchen of the yard in Findon, West Sussex, where Aldaniti was trained by Josh Gifford to defy outlandish odds.

The 1981 National winner was a talented ex-crock who had restored his Aintree candidacy by trotting up at Ascot in a major trial. Champion had been ravaged by an early form of chemotherapy and was lucky still to be alive, never mind jumping Becher's Brook. He looks healthy now: nowhere near his 62 years. But to get to Liverpool on Saturday, for the Bob Champion Aintree Legends Charity Race, in which a dozen National-winning ex-jockeys will compete, Aldaniti's former partner had to survive a second heart attack three weeks ago: 10 years to the day, spookily, after his first. As soft rain falls on the Downs where Nick Gifford took over from his father, Josh, Champion updates his story: "I speak on cruise ships a bit, and I'd come back from Barbados to a really busy week. I went to Stafford that night for the cancer trust, then to a meeting in London, then down to Hove to a dinner, then up to Whitby, then Harrogate. I was knackered when I got home.

"A couple of days later I was at home in bed at one o'clock in the morning and had these chest pains. I knew what it was. Thankfully. I had some spray from the first heart attack but I'd never used it. It was 10 years out of date. I sprayed it under my tongue and that saved a lot of damage. "I've got a couple of stents [artificial tubes] in there now and the surgeons ballooned the other vessels. It was the same day I had the heart attack 10 years ago – so I'm not going to go to bed in 10 years' time. I might go and park outside the hospital." Champion attributes his heart trouble to the effects of his treatment after being diagnosed with testicular cancer in July 1979: "The chemo was very barbaric in those days and it did affect my lungs. There's no way I can say it gave me the heart attack but some of the vessels were injured by the treatment in those days. I'm alive, that's the main thing. I wouldn't have been without the treatment." Hurt's character was living the life in a previous golden generation of National Hunt riders.

People talk these days of a special crop – AP McCoy, Ruby Walsh and the rest – but Champion's contemporaries were also vivid figures on winter's landscape. "I rode with some really good jockeys. People like John Francome, Jonjo O'Neill, Ron Barry, Bob Davies: all great champions," he says. "Racing's changed. AP has more than a thousand rides a year. John Francome – fantastic jockey – was lucky if he got 400. They've got to be fitter now – or they should be. They're more professional. We enjoyed life. But they're at it seven days a week. They're breathalysed. They can't really let themselves go on a Saturday night. We'd have a Saturday night out." But all this crashed with the cancer diagnosis. Jump racing steeled itself to say goodbye. Gifford, though, delivered a psychological gift, promising Champion his job as stable jockey would be waiting for him, even though he doubted that would be the outcome. "They gave me six to eight months to live. If I'd had the cancer 18 months before there'd have been no cure anyway, so I'd have been a goner," Champion says.

"It was eight months to live – or a 35-40% chance of living, with the treatment. The odds weren't particularly good. I didn't want to die. But I didn't realise until they started pumping the stuff in how toxic it was. Jesus, I felt so ill after two days. It was horrendous treatment. Thankfully now we've gone from 35-40% to 95% on testicular cancer alone [with early diagnosis]. So that's how far we've come. "Some days you'd rather be dead. I got septicaemia half-way through the treatment. You think you're drifting away and feel relief. Then they change your blood, get you up and you start the whole thing all over again. "Josh always said my job was there. I know he never really thought I'd live. But he kept giving me the confidence, which I needed. I started riding out when I came out of hospital, but I couldn't breathe. My lungs had been damaged and the weather was cold, which made it hurt more; so I went to the States, to South Carolina, where the weather was nice and warm. It made things easier.

I spent eight months there." Champion's first post-cancer winner was on the Flat in Florida in May, 1980, but resuming over jumps in Britain was gruelling, and peppered by setbacks. But by Christmas, Champion was back in the groove. He had never given up on Aldaniti as a National contender, despite the animal's two serious tendon injuries and fractured hock. He says: "He was a horse I'd always said would win a National one day. I'd been associated with horses who had gone on and won Nationals. I won the Eider Chase on Highland Wedding before he won at Aintree. I rode Rag Trade in his first race over fences. I used to look after Rubstic, who won a National. They all gave me this same feel. They had a low head carriage, were well balanced and were all good jumpers. "He [Aldaniti] broke down so many times. The last time it happened, at Sandown, it was very bad and the vets wanted to put him down. But he was such a great patient. He stood in a box for six months in plaster. That's hard for a horse.

After that Nick Embiricos [his owner] did all the road work. He came back into the yard on 1 January and Josh rode him out every day himself. He thought it was the only way he was going to get him to Liverpool. Josh has terrific hands, because the old horse used to pull very hard. If Josh hadn't ridden him every day he might not have got there. "When the old horse went to Ascot for the Whitbread Trial he was 16-1 but he absolutely bolted up. He never came off the bridle. I thought – if he's as good as that on the day, that's good enough for the National, in my book. He went from 66-1 for the National to 14-1 so he must have been pretty impressive." Champion refers to Aldaniti as "the old horse" a lot. Their lives, even now, are inseparable. In the race, Aldaniti, a 10-1 shot, beat Spartan Missile, ridden by an amateur, Mr John Thorne, who was killed a year later in a point-to-point. Even in its aftermath the 1981 Grand National was redemptive and tragic by turns.

"From the moment I went by the post everything seemed to change in my life – for good and bad, I suppose," Champion says. "I was still a professional jockey, though. I had to ride in a race an hour later. Part of the job. And I'm glad I did. It should have won, but it didn't. "Every time I tried to have a glass of champagne the press took it off me for the photograph. The first drink I had was a can of Coke on the motorway going back. Made up for it the next night, though." Champion trained for a while but his cancer trust became more consuming: "I don't know how long we believed it would go for, but it got bigger, and we've got our own research laboratory, which has been very successful. Our next target is prostate. One in 10 men get prostrate cancer now and hopefully we'll come up with the goods there." After the race 30 years ago Champion and Aldaniti stayed together: "I used to see him regularly because he did so much for the cancer trust. Holyrood Castle, Buckingham Palace. He used to go up in the lift at big stores. Terrific temperament.

He was wonderful with the public – a nice kind horse who loved the attention." Aldaniti died of a heart attack in 1997, aged 27. This is one of those National stories (the greatest of them all, to this day) that expresses the full human and equine grandeur of the challenge. The contest itself is a metaphor for what Aldaniti and Champion overcame to be there in the first place, never mind win. No wonder he is almost ever-present on Grand National day: "I've only missed one in 40 years – and that was because I had the first heart attack, 10 years ago. I rode in 10. I love going up there. I always walk down to The Chair. It brings back memories. I love the Liverpool people. They go there and they enjoy themselves.

"That's what I like to see." The Bob Champion Cancer Trust is at bobchampion.org.uk First and last: John Francome | Sport | The Guardian First and last Sunday 5 October 2003 18.23 EDT First published on Sunday 5 October 2003 18.23 EDT Share on Messenger Close Born in Swindon, in 1952, John Francome was a seven-time Champion Jockey in National Hunt racing during the 1970s and 1980s. A Channel 4 racing presenter since 1986, he is also the author of 15 novels. First time you sat on a horse? Christ, it was that long ago that my milkman still did his round with a horse and cart. I used to help him out and, in return, he'd give me the reins occasionally. I also rode donkeys on the beach. Last time you fell off a horse? It can't have been too painful because I don't remember. I'll never forget falling off a horse called Golden Rapper in the 1976 Grand National, though.

We were leading at Bechers Brook, second time around, his ears were pricked and he was still tanking along. Except that on landing his nose ended up about an inch from the ground. I have a picture of the moment at home. First time you got into trouble with a trainer? It was on my first morning as a 16-year-old apprentice at Fred Winter's yard. He'd asked me to muck a few horses out and I decided to take a radio down to keep myself entertained. When I turned it on the bloody thing I was looking after bolted. Suddenly there were six loose horses charging around the yard. I got my first of many bollockings. Last time you went on a diet? I'm on one at the moment and, no, it's not the Atkins. I tried every kind of diet when I was a jockey, from a slimming pill in the 1970s called Aids (if there's a name you wouldn't want to call something now, that would be it) to all sorts of other gimmicks. Eventually you realise that you just simply need to eat less. First time you realised that you were attractive to women?

Fucking hell, if I'm honest I don't really think that I am - given the choice, I wouldn't want to be me. Somebody once said that they thought it was because I was a bit of rough. Last time you had an argument? It was a few weeks ago with John McCririck [the eccentric Channel 4 betting expert] about mobile phones. I say that the rules [banning jockeys using mobiles in an attempt to stop alleged corruption] are ungovernable. Surely they could just get someone else to make a call for them, so it's not really stopping anything, is it? McCririck, obviously, disagreed. First time you won a race? It was on a little horse called Multigrey at Worcester, when I was 17. I was absolutely useless. I'd struggled to make the weight and was as weak as anything. The horse just carried me round. Last good horse you sat on? Looks Like Trouble [the 2000 Gold Cup winner] is a fabulous horse. He's on the sidelines at the moment but he's a wonderfully mannered horse. You could put a seven-year-old on his back and he'd still behave himself.

He'll probably be retired soon, but he is a real gentleman. First time you got drunk? I've never had a drink. I've seen enough drunk people to know that I can get through life without it. I don't mind people being drunk but when they ask you the same question three times in the space of an hour it gets a bit tedious. Most of the boys I raced against liked a drink, but I never bothered. It's nothing virtuous. I just don't like the smell. Last time a jockey asked you for advice? One or two of the jumps boys come up to me if there's anything they're not happy, or sure about. I'm always pleased to help, but I'd never go up to somebody and tell them they're doing something wrong. First car you owned? I bought a green mini 850 from one of the lads at Fred's yard. I've always been car mad. I never had a good car when I was riding but I've got a Jaguar XK8 at the moment. It's my third Jag and a bit of an old man's car really, but at least you can get two sets of golf clubs in the boot. Last good book you read?

I've just finished John McEnroe's Serious, which was enjoyable. I got interested in writing when I did my autobiography, which was a lot of hard work. When I looked back at my first draft a year or so later, I realised it was absolute crap, so I had to redo it. I write about a novel a year now, which keeps me out of trouble. · John Francome is part of the Channel 4 Racing team that will be covering Champions Day at Newmarket on 18 October. John Francome | Booking Agent | Talent Roster | MN2S John Francome BOOK John Francome John Francome Biography A regular face on TV who is closely associated with horse riding, John Francome is himself a retired National Hunt Champion Jockey. After leaving the saddle behind, John has become synony-mous with Channel 4’s coverage of horse racing and as such is a real sporting personality who is in demand for many equestrian related events, conferences and award ceremonies around the UK. Aged just 16, John was an apprentice to Lambourn trainer Fred Winter and it was here that he started on his successful career.

Swindon born John has the unfortunate title of being know as the best jockey never to have won the Grand National. In a fine career, he raced 1,038 winners in total and eventually retired in 1985. During the course of his career he was National Hunt Champion Jockey on seven different occa-sions and for his long term services to racing was honoured with an MBE in 1986. After racing, John spent time as a horse trainer for 18 months and then started his distinguished TV career as a presenter for horse racing broadcasts. John as also written a number of books in this time and they have all proven to be bestsellers. Now a regular racing pundit on Channel 4, John is very much the face of modern horse racing and so anyone needing someone to present an award, deliver an after dinner speech or appear and proved insight or commentary on racing should consider him a first rate and professional choice. John Francome Horses Horses Ah, so you're a horses man (or woman), are yea'? Welcome to the Guide to Winning on the Horses ... simply send me £10 and I promise to put that on a dead cert and send you the winnings.

Only joking, as my Dad is always quick to point out - punting is a mug's game. But a day at the races is always a grand occasion, whether it be a wet day at Pontefract or an afternoon strolling around the Royal Enclosure at Ascot. And if you can, using skilful selection criteria based on the latest scientific techniques, manage to pick a few winners then that makes the experience all the better. Here at we can often be found browsing through the Racing Post and are happy to share our knowledge of the "Sport of Kings" with you. Below are profiles of several racing celebrities; more will follow as we compile our insider exclusives, drawing on our extensive contacts in the racing world. Before we go any further, we at recommend Blue Chip equine feeds and supplements. John Francome Yes, I know we've done him already on the Famous Francomes page, but we couldn't resist giving his racing career a closer look. Now best known as a presenter and racing expert on Channel Four Racing , John Francome's achievements as a National Hunt jockey are the stuff of legend.

He is a seven time winner of the National Hunt jockeys championship (1976, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1985). The 1982 title is actually shared with Peter Scudamore due an act of sportsmanship that has few parallels in modern sport; championship leader Scudamore was injured late in the season and John refused to take any more rides once he had matched his rival's tally for the season. Career highlights include winning the Champion Hurdle (on Sea Pigeon in 1981), the Cheltenham Gold Cup (Midnight Court, 1978) and the King George VI Chase (twice, Wayward Lad in 1982 and, two years later, Burrough Hill Lad). After retiring from the saddle he dabbled in training before moving on to full-time TV work and writing.

Speaking of writing, you can find all of John's books (and many more) at Amazon - if you are planning to purchase something then please use the link at the bottom of this page and make us at very rich indeed. Although the Amazon link also appears on the Famous Francomes page, I have noticed that not very many of you have used it. When I say not many I actually mean zero. The patter of tiny feet has been heard here at (no, not Pat Eddery) and we need that cash, so get clicking. Oh, and John is a noted worker for charity and was awarded the MBE in 1986. The Flying Fenton Brothers - Micky and Barry Fenton Not, strictly speaking, Francomes, but related through marriage (at least Micky is). Michael Fenton is one of Britain and Ireland's foremost flat jockeys, a Group One winner and probably one of the worst tipsters in the game. Micky rides for leading trainers James Given , Michael Bell and Hughie Morrison , among others, and has ridden winners in the USA, Australia, the Far East and across Europe.

He is particularly popular in Milan, where he has an amazing strike rate at the San Siro (the race track next to the, considerably larger, football ground). Whenever he is in Milan he stops by to visit the Italian Francomes. The Limerick Pony Club must be justly proud of his achievements. You can get more information about Micky at the Jockey's Association of Great Britain . Other racing websites that we are happy to recommend are the Injured Jockeys Fund and the Jockey Club . The Injured Jockeys Fund is a particularly good place to shop for gifts and the proceeds go to a very good cause (after which you may still have money left over to buy a book at Amazon ). The Jockey Club is a good place to find out why your horse was disqualified and what Rule 28 (XII)(g) means (here's a clue - the 1993 Grand National). Not only are the Fentons a famous Irish family with a long sporting heritage, Micky's brother, Barry Fenton, is a leading National Hunt jockey. In fact, they are the only brothers to have both won a Lester award (the equine version of the Oscar).

Barry has won several major jump races, his biggest win to date was on board Eulogy to land the 1999 Whitbread Gold Cup. You can read Barry's personal profile at the Jockey's Association of Great Britain . Barry is pictured here (left) before the race has even started. Currently Barry rides for several leading trainers, including Richard Rowe and the up-and-coming Emma Lavelle (a recent finalist in Channel Four's "Top Racing Totty"). As well as the links provided above, we can recommend the following sites; The Jockey's Room provides information on a diverse list of jockeys (including many from outside Britain and Ireland) and includes photographs, personal profiles and links. For an alternative view on racing and the bloodstock industry, try RaceHorse.com . You can find details on a selected list of trainers at the Racehorse trainers site and Nashwan Links provides a comprehensive list of links to UK racing websites. And National Hunt racing is well served by UK Jumping . Finally, the good old Sporting Life is alive and well (if only on the Internet).

Update 08/2006: "Muscles" Micky piloted Speciosa to win the 2006 1,000 Guineas. Speciosa is trained by Pam Sly and this win represents a tremendous "David versus Goliath" story - a triumph achived despite the best efforts of racing's "big guns" and the financial resources that they are able to call upon. There are plenty of articles on the web regarding the race, but the Guardian do their usual sterling job and there is a personal summary of the day at Turf Travels , along with some good photos. This was Micky's second Group One winner thus far and Speciosa is primed for some big races later in the year. If you have a userid then you can review the video coverage of the full race via the Racing Post website.

Question: How many times was John Francome champion National Hunt jockey
Answer: Seven